Sheet- and strip-flattening machine

ABSTRACT

A FRAME HAS VERTICAL GUIDEWAYS SPACED APART IN A PREDETERMINED HORIZONTAL DIRECTION. TWO GUIDE MEMBERS WHICH ARE CYLINDRICALLY CURVED ARE FORMED WITH SURFACES WHICH ARE AT LEAST A PART OF A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION CENTERED ON A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS THAT IS TRANSVERSE TO SAID PREDETERMINED DIRECTION. THE GUIDE MEMBERS ARE MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF FOR ADJUSTMENT IN A VERTICAL DIRECTION AND GENERALLY IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID AXIS. A YOKE IS DISPOSED BETWEEN AND IN SLIDABLE ENGAGE-   MENT WITH SAID GUIDEWAYS AND FORMED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FRAME WITH SURFACES CONFORMING TO AND RESTING ON SAID SURFACES OF SAID GUIDE MEMBERS TO SUPPORT SAID YOKE. A SET OF LOWER ROLLS EXTENDING GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY AND TRANSVERSELY TO SAID PREDETERMINED DIRECTION IS CARRIED BY SAID YOKE.

De 1971 c. MUNCHBACH SHEET- AND STRIP-FLATTENING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 17, 1969 lNl/E vr C 01 7 MUnC l7 bach .TTURN 3 Dec. 14, 1971 C MUNCHBACH 3,626,736

SHBET- AND STRIP-FLAT'IENING MACHINE Filed Jan. 1'7, 1969 2 Sheets-SheetB S'," l vrewoa Curl Ml'fnch baa/1 A TTURNE Y5 United States Patent SHEET- AND STRIP-FLATTENING MACHINE Curt Munchbach, Pforzheim-Sonnenberg, Germany, as-

signor to Irma Ungerer, geb. Dollinger, Pforzheim,

Germany Filed Jan. 17, 1969, Ser. No. 791,979 Claims priority, application Germany, Mar. 14, 1968, P 16 52 644.6 Int. Cl. B2111 1/02 US. Cl. 72-165 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A frame has 'vertical guideways spaced apart in a predetermined horizontal direction. Two guide members which are cylindrically curved are formed with surfaces which are at least a part of a surface of revolution centered on a generally horizontal axis that is transverse to said predetermined direction. The guide members are mounted in said frame on opposite sides thereof for adjustment in a vertical direction and generally in the direction of said axis. A yoke is disposed between and in slidable engagement with said guideways and formed on opposite sides of said frame with surfaces conforming to and resting on said surfaces of said guide members to support said yoke. A set of lower rolls extending generally horizontally and transversely to said predetermined direction is carried by said yoke.

This invention relates to a flattening machine which comprises 'an adjustable set of lower rolls and serves to flatten sheet metal elements and strip.

In machines for flattening sheet metal elements and continuous strip it is known to provide for an adjustment of the upper and/or lower set of rolls. By a vertical adjustment the roll nip is adjusted according to the gage of the sheet metal so that adequate flattening is obtained. The sets of rolls must also be inclined in the direction of travel of the strip so as to diverge in said direction because the sheet metal should be strongly worked at the receiving end and this working should be almost eliminated near the outlet so that the sheet metal on one side can be flattened by a stretch-flattening eflect produced on the other side. In the known flattening machines, difliculties are involved particularly in the lateral tilting because it involves a reduction of the projected length of the rolls so that the latter tend to pull out of their bearings.

In a flattening machine which comprises an adjustable lower set of rolls and serves to flatten sheet metal elements and strip, these disadvantages are eliminated according to the invention in that the yoke carrying the lower roll set is laterally guided and has conforming recesses by which it is'mounted on vertically and laterally adjustable guide members each of which is a segment of a solid of revolution, particularly a segment of a cylinder. The vertical and lateral adjustment of the guide member on the operators side and on the drive side enables a vertical adjustment or a tilting or lateral inclination of the lower set of rolls without an action on the roll sets. The positioning motors can be controlled by a single person.

Each guide member may have an upper cylindrically curved portion and a depending vertical pedestal portion, and may be mounted on a vertically adjustable bearing member for lateral adjustment by means of a transverse screw for tilting the lower set of rolls. In this arrangement, the bearing member for each guide member has inclined faces, with which the bearing member is vertically adjustably mounted on two wedges, which can be moved toward and apart from each other by transverse screws. Besides, the wedges may be laterally tiltably mounted to be movable along arcuate paths about the ice transverse screw, or the guide member may be formed with arcuate guideways supporting the yoke of the lower set of rolls to enable a lateral tilting movement. Because vertical screws are avoided, the adjustable lower set of rolls of the flattening machine according to the invention is snugly guided without backlash so that a better flattening action than in the conventional machines is obtained.

According to another concept of the invention, each guide member has lower inclined faces resting on two wedges which can be moved toward and apart from each other by transverse screws for a vertical adjustment and for a tilting of the lower roll set. The transverse screw for actuating the wedges may be arranged to be rotatable in opposite directions for a vertical displacement of the lower set of rolls and the transverse screw may be laterally displaceable for a displacement of the wedges causing a tilting of the lower set of rolls. One screw on each side is thus suflicient to produce all three movements. The yoke carrying the lower set of rolls can be mounted on a vertically adjustable roller carried by a bearing member provided with inclined faces which are supported by and adjustable on the wedges.

Embodiments of flattening machines according to the invention are shown by way of example in the drawing, in which FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing a first embodiment of a flattening machine according to the invention.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are two fragmentary views showing bearing members of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation showing a second illustrative embodiment of a flattening machine according to the invention.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view showing bearing members of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view showing the screws of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a portion of a third embodiment of a flattening machine according to the invention.

The flattening machine shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 includes a generally rectangular inverted U-shaped frame 1 resting on a horizontal base 1'. The form supports a stationary upper set of rolls 2. A lower set of horizontal rolls 3 is carried by a yoke 5 which is guided on both sides by vertical guideways 4 of frame 1. The yoke is carried by two guide members 6, only one of which is shown in the drawing. Each guide member 6 has an upper portion which is a section of an axially horizontal cylinder and a lower pedestal portion 6 which depends vertically from the flat bottom of the upper portion. Each guide member is centered between the vertical guideways 4. The guide member is vertically adjustable for tilting the lower set of rolls 3. Each guide member '6 is laterally adjustable by a transverse screw extending through the pedestal portion 6' to impart a lateral inclination to the lower set of rolls 3. To enable a vertical adjustment, the bearing member 7 for the guide member 6- has inclined faces resting on two wedges 9, which are movable toward and apart from each other by a transverse screw 10. The wedges 9 slide on arcuate guideways 11 formed in base 1'. To impart a lateral inclination, the yoke is raised on the operators side or the drive side of the flattening machine. According to FIG. 2, this is enabled since the wedges 9 are adjustable on the arcuate guideways 11 about the transverse screw 10, as is shown in FIG. 2, and the guide members 6 define arcuate guideways 12 supporting the yoke 5 of the lower set of rolls.

In FIGS. 4 to 6, the second embodiment of a flattening machine has a frame 21 and comprises a stationary upper set of rolls 22 whereas the lower set of rolls 23 has a yoke 25, which is guided on both sides at vertical guideways 24 and according to the invention rests on the guide member 26 which is a segment of a cylinder. In this case,

the segment 26 of a cylinder has inclined surfaces 27 resting on wedges 29 for a vertical adjustment and tilting movement with the aid of the transverse screw 28. For a vertical adjustment, the transverse screw is provided with oppositely handed screw threads r and l for moving the wedges 29 toward and apart from each other. Motion is transmitted to the screw from 30 by means of a splined shaft and a hollow shaft 31. To enable a tilting of the lower set of rolls 23 and of its yoke 25, the transverse screw 28 is laterally displaceable from the drive 32 by means of a screw and hollow shaft 33 and an axial bearing 34 so as to displace the wedges 29. A lateral inclination is imparted to the lower set of rolls 23 also in this case as described hereinbefore in that the yoke 25 is raised on the operators side or the drive side. To this end, the wedges 29 can be tilted on arcuate guideways 35 about the transverse screw 28. In this embodiment, all three movements are effected with the aid of the transverse screws provided on both sides so that a single operator can control the positioning motors to effect these movements to achieve the desired flattening.

In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 7 the yoke 35 is carried by the segment of a solid of revolution in the form of a roller 36, which by means of a bearing member 37 is carried by wedges 39, which are adjustable by a transverse screw 38. The mode of operation is the same as in the preceding embodiment. The embodiment shown in FIG. 7 has the advantage that the bearing roller can easily be manufactured.

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet and strip flattening machine, comprising a generally rectangular inverted U-shaped frame resting on a horizontal base and supporting an upper set of rolls, said frame having vertical guideways spaced apart in one horizontal direction; two guide members each formed with an upper portion which is a section of a cylinder and a lower pedestal portion depending from the upper portion, said upper portion having a cylindrically curved upper surface centered on a horizontal axis which is transverse to said one direction, said guide members being mounted in said frame at opposite sides thereof for adjustment in a vertical direction; a yoke disposed between and in engagement with said guideways and formed at opposite ends of said frame with surfaces conforming to and resting on the cylindrically curved upper surfaces of the guide members; a set of lower rolls extending axially horizontally and transversely to said one direction and carried by said yoke in opposition to the upper rolls; two bearing members adjustably mounted in said frame at opposite sides thereof and supporting said guide members respectively; two screws extending in said one horizontal direction through said bearing members respectively and threaded into the pedestal portions of the respective guide members for adjusting the same in said one direction; two pairs of wedges mounted on said base inside the frame, the wedges of each pair thereof being adjustably spaceable laterally with respect to each other in said one direction; and two other screws extending in said one direction, threaded into the wedges and operable to move the Wedges of each pair thereof in said one direction toward and apart from each other, each of said bearing members having inclined surfaces at its underside resting on the two wedges of each of said pairs,

2. A sheet and strip flattening machine, as defined in claim 1, wherein said base is formed with horizontal guideways each slidably supportnig a pair of said wedges.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,638,143 5/1953 Maust 72163 2,796,908 6/1957 Shields 72-165 X 2,890,738 6/1959 Koch et al. 7'2l63 3,312,094 4/1967 Birkle 72-l63 X 3,477,266 11/1969 Fornataro 72-l65 2,963,071 12/1960 Krynytzky 72-163 3,420,082 l/1969 Bearer 72163 MILTON S. MEHR, Primary Examiner 

